Tire Test - Vittoria Rubino Pro Control

Test Summary

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The Vittoria Rubino Pro Control with the new G+ graphene triple compound is a new addition to the Vittoria Rubino series. The Pro Control is a stronger version of the regular Rubino Pro and is made to handle the worst road conditions. To make this tire stronger, the sidewalls are made stronger with an extra layer of casing material and a thicker layer of rubber to protect the casing against cuts.

Although the Control is a stronger tire, I'm not sure if it also uses a different compound than the plain Rubino Pro G+ (read review). All that can be found about this tire is that it uses the new 3C G+ compound which is the same as used on the Rubino Pro. Vittoria does show an extra logo that suggests this tire can be used in sub-zero degrees weather. Some clearer info about the compounds used on the new Rubino tires would be nice.

Vittoria also released a Rubino Pro Endurance that appears to be even stronger and uses an all-season compound. Unfortunately, the Endurance is a very heavy tire at 480 grams for the 25 mm version. In my opinion, this makes it more of a touring tire than a road bike tire.

Measured weight of my 25-622 Rubino Pro Control is 297 grams, this is quite a bit less than the specified weight of 320 grams. Just like the regular Rubino Pro, the Control measures 26 mm wide and 23 mm high on a 17C rim at an air pressure of 100 psi.

Compared to the regular Rubino Pro, the total thickness of the tire at the center of the tread has gone up slightly from 3.0 mm to 3.3 mm. The thickness of the sidewalls has gone up from 0.55 mm to 1.05 mm. This increased thickness of the sidewalls is the result of an extra casing layer and a bit more rubber.

Use the formula: RR (watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load

As expected from a tire that offers better protection, rolling resistance has gone up. Compared to the regular Rubino Pro, rolling resistance is close to 2 - 2.5 watts higher across the air pressure range. Just like the other new Rubino G+ tires, rolling resistance of the Pro Control rises fast when dropping air pressure. When looking at the 60 and 80 psi measurements, relative performance is worse when compared to other tires.

When we look at other tires that offer more protection, the Michelin Pro 4 Endurance (read review) seems to outperform the Pro Control by quite a big margin. The Pro Control does outperform both the Continental GP 4-Season (read review) and Schwalbe Durano (read review) at the higher end of the air pressure range.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)

Puncture Resistance Tread

12

Puncture Resistance Sidewall

6

Just like the regular Rubino Pro, the Pro Control scores 12 points in the puncture resistance tread test. This makes sense as there doesn't seem to be a difference in puncture protection of the tread area except the slightly higher thickness of the Pro Control at 3.3 mm Vs 3.0 mm. For a tire that should offer more protection, 12 points isn't that impressive.

In the sidewall puncture test, the Pro Control scores slightly higher with a score of 6 points. This is the result of the extra layer of casing material and a thicker layer of rubber. In real-life, the 1.05 mm thickness of the sidewalls should provide a bigger improvement than the raw the puncture test numbers show.

Conclusion

For a tire that is supposed to give extra protection, the 12 points it scored in the puncture resistance tread test is disappointing. The sidewalls are much stronger especially because of the greatly increased thickness of 1.05 mm -not many road bike tires have sidewalls that thick. The increased strength the Pro Control offers over the plain Rubino Pro G+ (read review) results in a rolling resistance that is 2 - 2.5 watts higher.

If you're looking for a strong tire that still has a low rolling resistance and weight, the Michelin Pro 4 Endurance (read review) seems to be the tire to beat. Still, I can't say the Rubino Pro Control is a bad tire. If stronger sidewalls are what you're looking for in a tire, it should serve you well.